So, what is his explanation of what makes her unqualified for the Secretary of State position? That she made statements on the Sunday shows based on the information provided to her that the attack sprung from demonstrations, information she said at the time was still being investigated and might ultimately turn out to be incorrect?

Apocalyptic Inferno:MFAWG: Apocalyptic Inferno: Obama had to have known Republicans would seize on this when he sent her out with the inaccurate Benghazi talking points. The administration has all but guaranteed she will not make it through a Senate confirmation.

Again, what is inaccurate about her talking points, which were signed off on by former Right Wing Demigod David David Petraeus.

I thought I heard the original intelligence from the CIA was altered for her statements to place more emphasis on reaction to a video and away from terrorist implications. Additionally, by the time she went on, many people, including the Libyan prime minister, were indicating that it wasn't a demonstration against a video.

It WAS a demonstration against the video.

It was a demonstration that was hijacked by terrorists. There had been other demonstrations that day, and the terrorists obviously saw an open window to drive down and start trouble. I don't understand why people can't understand this VERY SIMPLE concept.

That is unless the partisan wall is blocking their view of the situation.

Yeah, once you appoint Palin to a position where you are saying she is qualified to be President of the United States, you never, ever, ever get to be critical on who you think is or is not qualified for appointment to Secretary of State (or dog catcher for that matter). He either has a total failure of judgement or a total failure of character to do the right thing. Either way, it's time for him to be quiet.

TofuTheAlmighty:Glad to see that not everyone drank the McCain koolaid. Except for that first year (2000) he was running for president and the year after (out of spite), McCain has always been a craven, snide, and mean-spirited Republican.

He keeps this up and people will forget that McCain wasn't always on the wrong side of every story and issue. They will forget that he was against torture, was sometimes a reasonable voice in the GOP, was able to poke fun at himself on TV and appeared not to be an intractable mean old asshole.

skullkrusher:she said what she was told. That the attack was a spontaneous offshoot of protests about the movie. Turns out that this was not the case, apparently. She is not at fault, however.

That's NOT what she said. Here's what she said:

But our current best assessment, based on the information that we have at present, is that, in fact, what this began as, it was a spontaneous - not a premeditated - response to what had transpired in Cairo. In Cairo, as you know, a few hours earlier, there was a violent protest that was undertaken in reaction to this very offensive video that was disseminated.

We believe that folks in Benghazi, a small number of people came to the embassy to - or to the consulate, rather, to replicate the sort of challenge that was posed in Cairo. And then as that unfolded, it seems to have been hijacked, let us say, by some individual clusters of extremists who came with heavier weapons, weapons that as you know in - in the wake of the revolution in Libya are - are quite common and accessible. And it then evolved from there.

That's what she said. It started out as an actual protest, and then the terrorists crashed the party.

Which is exactly what happened. It wasn't "spontaneous", and she didn't say so. What she said was that the initial demonstration WAS spontaneous. The attack, on the other hand was not "spontaneous". It was a terrorist attack, most likely a contingency plan if they ever got a situation like this handed to them.

She basically said that there had been demonstrations across the middle east that day, including one in Benghazi. She then went on to say that extremists took advantage of this, hijacked the protest and actually turned it into a terrorist attack.

...perverse, prurient, crocodile-eyed, necrophiliac mass-producers of human misery and gleeful destroyers of truth, justice, and the American way...sepulchre-hearted human deserts walking the Earth only to look for more victims...silly, stupid, ignorant bastards proud of every good thing they've never done, every person they've never been considerate toward, every fact they've never learned and will never acknowledge, and every virtue they will never possess or even attempt to comprehend...preternaturally drunken, bleary-eyed, zombie-like, empty vessels who wander aimlessly until given instruction by their masters...unthinking, unquestioning, unfeeling diabolus ex machina mockeries of the human condition, perpetually acting out a burlesque of the basest and least interesting psychological dysfunctions...

Republicans, you vile, repulsive, scum. You're not leading this country. You're not contributing to this country. You're not even part of this country. You are the maggot-ridden rot that arises in this country's damaged flesh; you are the vultures constantly picking at us to see if we're weak enough yet to become your next meal; you create problems where none would otherwise exist, just to further weaken America and quicken your own insatiable appetites; you are garbage, and you are traitors. And you are not welcome in this country anymore.

Apocalyptic Inferno:Obama had to have known Republicans would seize on this when he sent her out with the inaccurate Benghazi talking points. The administration has all but guaranteed she will not make it through a Senate confirmation.

Again, what is inaccurate about her talking points, which were signed off on by former Right Wing Demigod David David Petraeus.

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Every day, all across the world, American diplomats and civilians work tirelessly to advance the interests and values of our nation. Often, they are away from their families. Sometimes, they brave great danger.

Yesterday, four of these extraordinary Americans were killed in an attack on our diplomatic post in Benghazi. Among those killed was our Ambassador, Chris Stevens, as well as Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith. We are still notifying the families of the others who were killed. And today, the American people stand united in holding the families of the four Americans in our thoughts and in our prayers.

The United States condemns in the strongest terms this outrageous and shocking attack. We're working with the government of Libya to secure our diplomats. I've also directed my administration to increase our security at diplomatic posts around the world. And make no mistake, we will work with the Libyan government to bring to justice the killers who attacked our people.

Since our founding, the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths. We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. But there is absolutely no justification to this type of senseless violence. None. The world must stand together to unequivocally reject these brutal acts.

Already, many Libyans have joined us in doing so, and this attack will not break the bonds between the United States and Libya. Libyan security personnel fought back against the attackers alongside Americans. Libyans helped some of our diplomats find safety, and they carried Ambassador Stevens's body to the hospital, where we tragically learned that he had died.

It's especially tragic that Chris Stevens died in Benghazi because it is a city that he helped to save. At the height of the Libyan revolution, Chris led our diplomatic post in Benghazi. With characteristic skill, courage, and resolve, he built partnerships with Libyan revolutionaries, and helped them as they planned to build a new Libya. When the Qaddafi regime came to an end, Chris was there to serve as our ambassador to the new Libya, and he worked tirelessly to support this young democracy, and I think both Secretary Clinton and I relied deeply on his knowledge of the situation on the ground there. He was a role model to all who worked with him and to the young diplomats who aspire to walk in his footsteps.

Along with his colleagues, Chris died in a country that is still striving to emerge from the recent experience of war. Today, the loss of these four Americans is fresh, but our memories of them linger on. I have no doubt that their legacy will live on through the work that they did far from our shores and in the hearts of those who love them back home.

Of course, yesterday was already a painful day for our nation as we marked the solemn memory of the 9/11 attacks. We mourned with the families who were lost on that day. I visited the graves of troops who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan at the hallowed grounds of Arlington Cemetery, and had the opportunity to say thank you and visit some of our wounded warriors at Walter Reed. And then last night, we learned the news of this attack in Benghazi.

As Americans, let us never, ever forget that our freedom is only sustained because there are people who are willing to fight for it, to stand up for it, and in some cases, lay down their lives for it. Our country is only as strong as the character of our people and the service of those both civilian and military who represent us around the globe.

No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America. We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done.

But we also know that the lives these Americans led stand in stark contrast to those of their attackers. These four Americans stood up for freedom and human dignity. They should give every American great pride in the country that they served, and the hope that our flag represents to people around the globe who also yearn to live in freedom and with dignity.

We grieve with their families, but let us carry on their memory, and let us continue their work of seeking a stronger America and a better world for all of our children.

Thank you. May God bless the memory of those we lost and may God bless the United States of America.

That's funny, no mention of a video on Youtube or riots. The only type of "attack" mentioned was "terror". Hmmmmmmmm weird.

tony41454:Palin had and has FAR more accomplishments and qualifications than Rice:.

BWAHAHAHA!Oh man, that is awesome. People still pining for Sarah after all these years... hey, maybe if you get in shape for the 10 year reunion she'll dance with you! No, really! Then you can tell her about how much you've changed since high school now that you're managing TWO self-storage locations out in Homer.

randomjsa:Something about being part of the either the cover up on Benghazi or part of the gross incompetence sort of disqualifies her.

And your continued lamenting over Palin's lack of 'experience as VICE president when you voted for the least qualified and least experienced PRESIDENT in history in the form of Obama? Really? You're going there?

Well. Rice repeating inaccurate talking points regarding the spontaneity of an attack correct a few days later is not a scandal and it would be her scandal anyways even if it was a scandal which it isn't.

Finally, what ignorant partisan shills like yourself think about it, is completely irrelevant. No one cares. Adults are controlling the conversation today and you are just static.

I can't recall such an effort to make hay out of something like this being such an utter failure.

The RW media (and that's a big operation) spent an awful lot of air time over several weeks trying to make this into something.

Problem is, it's not a scandal and the more info that comes out about this the more silly RWers look.They don't seem to notice, they don't even change up their chants of "cover-up!" and "incompetence!" even after their stories to back up those assertions have been debunked.

The RW has a sickness, they have to take Obama out even if it means they must create their own reality in which this can happen. I expect at some point over the next four years they'll have an impeachment and new election all by themselves at FOX studios.

sorry RWers you're going to have to wall yourselves off better than this if you want to keep reality from ruining your fun.

KrispyKritter:brigid_fitch: I used to respect McCain. I was even close to forgiving him for being a part of the Keating 5. He was a decent senator and a seemed a genuinely honest, common-sense guy.

I think prolonged exposure to Palin broke his brain.

i suspect subby is misled. i think Palin was force-fed upon McCain by those in party who backed her with big money from early on. pretty face, camera whore, but their eternal erection made them forget she could barely Alaska. yes, she did break McCain. the VC couldn't do it but Cougar for Congress proved to be the human Viagra that broke the piggy bank. damn shame, he was a good man and a true patriot. somebody shoulda kept momma off that flag pole.

The worst part of the whole situation IMO is the reason they chose Palin in the first place. They assumed since Hillary didn't get the Dem nomination that there would be a whole bunch of women who would throw away everything that they believed in order to vote for another pair of candidates with a woman on the ticket. First off, it demonstrates an utter disdain for all women by assuming that they would simply vote with their vagina, but that disdain is nothing new Secondly, if they absolutely had to play the vagina vote card, it seems like they went out of their way to choose they least qualified person possible. Palin was stupid, duplicitous, petty, lazy, closed minded, hypocritical, had a long history of corruption and crimes behind her. She didn't have a single redeeming characteristic. Honestly, I have to believe that whoever made that choice did so to throw the election. And while I am ever so grateful that we got Obama as president, he came at the cost of releasing this phycho hose beast upon us. It was worth it, but talk about a double edged sword.Anyways my point was that everything they did was disgusting, from their reasoning behind choosing a woman for VP to who they chose. god the GOP sucks.

Blue_Blazer:jasimo: skylabdown: The WH knew the truth about the attacks and made a conscience decision to send out a purposely mis-informed surrogate to deliver a known non-truth. (to them, not her.)

....or the intelligence community approved those points (keeping back some info for various strategic and operational reasons) and passed them on to the White House, then she spoke from the provided points.

That's basically how I see it. Don't hinder an ongoing investigation. Republicans will out everybody if it means they can scream about President Obama.

The idea that perhaps it would be better not to compromise assets in a sensitive location seems to be lost on the Republicans at this point. Kind of like when they outed Valerie Plame, and nevermind that at least four agents in Russia disappeared, never to be heard from again. But at least somebody got embarassed, amirite?

jasimo:skylabdown: The WH knew the truth about the attacks and made a conscience decision to send out a purposely mis-informed surrogate to deliver a known non-truth. (to them, not her.)

....or the intelligence community approved those points (keeping back some info for various strategic and operational reasons) and passed them on to the White House, then she spoke from the provided points.

That's basically how I see it. Don't hinder an ongoing investigation. Republicans will out everybody if it means they can scream about President Obama.

skullkrusher:MFAWG: Why would the CIA, State Department, or anyone else go on TV and admit we had that level of infiltration into local branches of Al Qaeda, anywhere in the world?

They wouldn't. That's not the point. You said no reasonable person sees a difference between a spontaneous attack and a pre-planned one. A reasonable person would see the difference. No one is talking about outing intel operatives in AQ

Why did you misquote me? I said no meaningful difference. It doesn't matter how the protest started, it's what was used as cover to get the attackers into place.

There ARE legitimate questions here, but how the protest originated isn't one of them. And all of this has not much to do with Ms. Rice. Her statement is substantially accurate.

skullkrusher:MFAWG: The disconnect is that no reasonable person sees any meaningful difference between the protest being staged for cover or simply used as cover.

well, there's actually a huge difference. There's not much that can be done to thwart a spontaneous attack from an intel perspective whereas an attack that is being planned ahead of time does present that sort of opportunity for infiltration and prevention.

The immediate issue here is whether Susan Rice did anything wrong. Apparently, no, she didn't and McCain and others are wrong to blame her.

MFAWG: So, who wants beer?

me

skullkrusher:MFAWG: The disconnect is that no reasonable person sees any meaningful difference between the protest being staged for cover or simply used as cover.

well, there's actually a huge difference. There's not much that can be done to thwart a spontaneous attack from an intel perspective whereas an attack that is being planned ahead of time does present that sort of opportunity for infiltration and prevention.

Why would the CIA, State Department, or anyone else go on TV and admit we had that level of infiltration into local branches of Al Qaeda, anywhere in the world?

MFAWG:skullkrusher: MFAWG: skullkrusher: MFAWG: The attack was a terrorist attack that evolved out of a protest over the video.

No, I don't think anyone agrees with that anymore

But it's what you just said? I'm sorry, I'm just really, really confused as to what the fark the GOP is on about.

That's what Rice initially said because that was the info she was given. It has come out since then that the CIA had info that the attack was the work of terrorist planning rather than a spontaneous escalation of a protest. The GOP wants to nail Rice for something over which she had no control. However, even Dianne Feinstein, while defending Rice's comments as an honest relaying of the info she had and saying the WH had no role in massaging the points, wants to know why the CIA talking points were inaccurate at the outset.

I actually watched Feinstein yesterday.

So there was no protest? A couple of cars full of heavily armed men just showed up out of the blew and opened fire on the compound?

not seeing where the disconnect here is. At some point there was a question of whether there was a protest at all but I think that's gone away. There was a protest. The terrorist attack on the consulate was not an organic offshoot of that but rather something that they'd been planning. Whether they used the protest as a cover or it was just a happy coincidence, I have not seen speculation on

AdolfOliverPanties:He keeps this up and people will forget that McCain wasn't always on the wrong side of every story and issue.

One of the very few vocal nationally elected representatives who opposed giving a national holiday dedicated to the legacy of Martin Luther King. Supported all of Reagan's nefarious meddling in the world. Personally met with and supported Augusto Pincohet. A member of the Keating 5.

Maybe not always on the the wrong side of every issue, but damn near close.

Mainly what he is, more than anything, is an egomaniac who enjoys employing a contrarian vendetta and thorn in the side to anyone he thinks has wronged him. This might given the appearance that he's a "maverick" or "independent" when he's doing it to the GOP, but mainly he's just playing troll. If he were a TV character, he would be Major Valchek from The Wire.

error 303:Apocalyptic Inferno: MFAWG: Apocalyptic Inferno: Obama had to have known Republicans would seize on this when he sent her out with the inaccurate Benghazi talking points. The administration has all but guaranteed she will not make it through a Senate confirmation.

Again, what is inaccurate about her talking points, which were signed off on by former Right Wing Demigod David David Petraeus.

I thought I heard the original intelligence from the CIA was altered for her statements to place more emphasis on reaction to a video and away from terrorist implications. Additionally, by the time she went on, many people, including the Libyan prime minister, were indicating that it wasn't a demonstration against a video.

The FBI requested a change in language which originally stated the U.S. "knew" Islamic extremists participated in the attack. According to a U.S. intelligence official the wording was changed to "there are indications" Islamic extremists participated.

The initial version included information linking individuals involved in the attack to al Qaeda, according to a senior U.S. official familiar with the drafting of the talking points But when the document was sent to the rest of the intelligence community for review, there was a decision to change "al Qaeda" to "extremists." The official said the change was made for legitimate intelligence and legal reasons, not for political purposes.

The White House on Friday said it made only one change, substituting the word "mission" for "consulate."

Yea, saw that.

This isn't really hard to figure out: the Consulate was being used as cover for a CIA operation, and they needed a few days to clean that up without tipping their hand more than it already was.

So where's the scandal? I suppose some liberals would find using the State Department as cover for the CIA an outrage. I think it's a bad way to do things, but it's not like it hasn't been done that way for decades.

Apocalyptic Inferno:MFAWG: Apocalyptic Inferno: Obama had to have known Republicans would seize on this when he sent her out with the inaccurate Benghazi talking points. The administration has all but guaranteed she will not make it through a Senate confirmation.

Again, what is inaccurate about her talking points, which were signed off on by former Right Wing Demigod David David Petraeus.

I thought I heard the original intelligence from the CIA was altered for her statements to place more emphasis on reaction to a video and away from terrorist implications. Additionally, by the time she went on, many people, including the Libyan prime minister, were indicating that it wasn't a demonstration against a video.

Apocalyptic Inferno:MFAWG: Apocalyptic Inferno: Obama had to have known Republicans would seize on this when he sent her out with the inaccurate Benghazi talking points. The administration has all but guaranteed she will not make it through a Senate confirmation.

Again, what is inaccurate about her talking points, which were signed off on by former Right Wing Demigod David David Petraeus.

I thought I heard the original intelligence from the CIA was altered for her statements to place more emphasis on reaction to a video and away from terrorist implications. Additionally, by the time she went on, many people, including the Libyan prime minister, were indicating that it wasn't a demonstration against a video.

Aren't there on the ground witnesses that say a demonstration against the video did in fact take place? How hard is to believe that these guys either set it up as cover, or just took advantage of a situation?

Yes, she is clearly using carefully worded language, but the complaint seems to be that since she isn't screaming OMGTERRORISM!!!!! while running around the room, she's unqualified to be the chief diplomat of these here United States.

I don't think I'm buying it. OTOH, they were going to fight every appointment tooth and nail anyway, so why not go after her with this weak sauce. Should be good for some LULZ, anyway.

AdolfOliverPanties:He keeps this up and people will forget that McCain wasn't always on the wrong side of every story and issue. They will forget that he was against torture, was sometimes a reasonable voice in the GOP, was able to poke fun at himself on TV and appeared not to be an intractable mean old asshole.

It is like he is determined to be remembered as a doddering old fool.

Hell, he was the first Senator--on either side of the aisle--to call for an investigation of some kind into the so-called intelligence used to justify Iraq. I liked him back then. He WAS a "maverick". He bucked the GOP when the GOP was first starting this trend of never questioning the Party.

Then he decided to run for President, turned into a total dick, and blew all the goodwill he previously built. The final nail in the coffin for me was when he hooked up with that brainless coont.

The Democrats are really, really stupid if they don't basically eliminate the filibuster so attention whore assholes like McCain can't stop up the necessary work of the Senate just because they want to have the attention of the whole nation while they have their temper tantrum.

I can only guess that McCain is doing what he's doing now because he wants to be remembered as a crybaby asshole.

KrispyKritter:brigid_fitch: I used to respect McCain. I was even close to forgiving him for being a part of the Keating 5. He was a decent senator and a seemed a genuinely honest, common-sense guy.

I think prolonged exposure to Palin broke his brain.

i suspect subby is misled. i think Palin was force-fed upon McCain by those in party who backed her with big money from early on. pretty face, camera whore, but their eternal erection made them forget she could barely Alaska. yes, she did break McCain. the VC couldn't do it but Cougar for Congress proved to be the human Viagra that broke the piggy bank. damn shame, he was a good man and a true patriot. somebody shoulda kept momma off that flag pole.

Nah, McCain wanted Lieberman in the worst way.The party was pushing for a Midwesterner like Daniels with solid budget cred.She was an 11th hour compromise.

brigid_fitch:I used to respect McCain. I was even close to forgiving him for being a part of the Keating 5. He was a decent senator and a seemed a genuinely honest, common-sense guy.

I think prolonged exposure to Palin broke his brain.

i suspect subby is misled. i think Palin was force-fed upon McCain by those in party who backed her with big money from early on. pretty face, camera whore, but their eternal erection made them forget she could barely Alaska. yes, she did break McCain. the VC couldn't do it but Cougar for Congress proved to be the human Viagra that broke the piggy bank. damn shame, he was a good man and a true patriot. somebody shoulda kept momma off that flag pole.

fusillade762:McCain's been pissed at Rice since she said mean things about him during the 2008 campaign. Guy can hold a grudge, that's for sure.

"His tendency is to shoot first and ask first questions later, it is dangerous and we can't afford four more years of this reckless foreign policy," Susan Rice said to reporters about McCain in August 2008.

"On critical, factual questions that are fundamental to understanding what is going on in Iraq and the region, Senator McCain has gotten it wrong and not just once but repeatedly," said Rice in June 2008.

She appears to be referring to his inability to distinguish Sunni from shiate after we had been there 5 years

djkutch:brigid_fitch: I used to respect McCain. I was even close to forgiving him for being a part of the Keating 5. He was a decent senator and a seemed a genuinely honest, common-sense guy.

I think prolonged exposure to Palin broke his brain.

He's heading home to AZ after a long and difficult march. Many years as a POW (while supplied with hookers according to Jerome Corsi). Decades as a politician didn't soften the blows to existing bruises. He's a complex man. I have hope for a competent biographer.

Glad to see that not everyone drank the McCain koolaid. Except for that year he was running for president and the year after (out of spite), McCain has always been a craven, snide, and mean-spirited Republican.

brigid_fitch:I used to respect McCain. I was even close to forgiving him for being a part of the Keating 5. He was a decent senator and a seemed a genuinely honest, common-sense guy.

I think prolonged exposure to Palin broke his brain.

He's heading home to AZ after a long and difficult march. Many years as a POW (while supplied with hookers according to Jerome Corsi). Decades as a politician didn't soften the blows to existing bruises. He's a complex man. I have hope for a competent biographer.

At this point, I can no longer hold John McCain responsible for his own actions. He has lost his mind. As long as he can avoid voiding his bowels and bladder on the floor of the senate, I'll be impressed.

The voters of Arizona, however, I hold in complete contempt. Seriously, people, you put this obviously incapacitated, senile senior citizen in a position of power. What is wrong with you? It's not funny!